Anthony Kim reveals that he was so detached from golf that he was only vaguely aware of Tiger Woods' Masters win in 2019 as former prodigy opens up on his 12-year exile before LIV Golf return: 'I'm learning as I go'

Anthony Kim has revealed the extent of his exile from golf, claiming he was only vaguely aware of Tiger Woods' miraculous Masters win in 2019.

The 38-year-old, who spent around 12 years away from the game before returning earlier this year, was also unaware until this week that fellow LIV Golfer Brooks Koepka won back-to-back majors during an incredible run between 2017 and 2019. 

Several rule changes were also introduced without Kim noticing.

The American was a prodigy, who won three times on the PGA Tour, before he mysteriously disappeared from the professional game. Kim this week lifted the lid this week on the struggles he endured which included multiple surgeries and addiction.

He made a long-awaited return to golf at LIV Golf's $20million event in Jeddah last month. While he was away, Woods landed a 15th major title, triumphing at Augusta when he was 43 years old.

Anthony Kim has revealed that he was only vaguely aware of Tiger Woods ' 2019 Masters win

Woods landed a 15th major title in 2019, triumphing at Augusta when he was 43 years old

'I definitely heard that it happened but going through some of the things I’ve gone through in my life, I wasn’t focused on golf,' Kim revealed on Thursday. 

'I didn’t care about somebody who won a golf tournament. There’s so many other big issues going on in the world that golf is such a small part of it.' 

Speaking ahead of the LIV event in Florida this week, Kim also revealed how Dustin Johnson informed him of Koepka's remarkable majors run, when he won successive PGA Championships (2018, 2019) and US Opens (2017, 2018). 

'I think I probably watched nine holes of golf when I wanted to fall asleep, but I didn’t watch much golf,' Kim said. 'I just found out from DJ yesterday playing a practice round that Brooks won back-to-back majors, which is awesome. But I had no clue that that happened.'

The American only found out this week that Brooks Koepka won back-to-back major titles

He added: 'I actually learned a new rule today that you can take practice swings out of the hazard from DJ, and you can remove loose impediments from bunkers.' 

The 38-year-old finished 11 shots adrift of the pack on his return in Saudi Arabia last month. 

'I know I should have done that in Saudi because I was in every bunker there was but I didn’t. So I’m learning as I go,' he added.

'As important as golf is and as important as it is to win and to be in contention, I just want to be in the right mental place. Life is too short to be super upset.'

Kim made a long-awaited return to golf at LIV Golf's $20million event in Jeddah last month

'I didn’t care about somebody who won a golf tournament,' Kim said of Woods' Augusta victory

Earlier this week, Kim detailed the dark moments he went through the last 12 years, which until now has been shrouded in mystery. 

'Golf is important to me and not important to me at the same time,' Kim said in a sit-down interview with LIV's David Feherty. 

'I've had some very dark moments. I've had some very low moments. I felt very alone, even when there's a million people around. I needed to get my mind on straight and figure out what my purpose was on this planet.'

In the video, which was released on the LIV Golf app on Tuesday morning, Kim revealed that it 'wasn't that long ago' that he began hitting balls. Three months in fact, around the same time he got the call from LIV CEO Greg Norman.